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At Coolabah Turf, we are passionate about helping Australian schools build healthy communities. Looking to create a new oval or rejuvenate an existing space for your school? Turf remains the fastest and most effective way to bring energy, colour and life to a schoolyard. Premium school sports turf surfaces provide safe, durable and inviting environments for students to be active, supporting their physical health and overall well-being. Studies show the benefits extend beyond the playground and that energetic play can even help improve focus when students return to the classroom.
By choosing to establish or upgrade outdoor sports facilities with natural turf, schools are making a long-term investment in the health and happiness of their students.
The Great Debate: Natural vs Artificial Turf for School Sports Turf
When planning for new sports fields or upgrading play areas, the question of natural vs synthetic is one of the first to arise. While artificial turf is often marketed as a low-maintenance solution, a closer look reveals why natural grass remains the gold standard for various sports and recreation. For administrators, groundskeepers and most importantly, the students, the “real thing” provides benefits that synthetic grass simply cannot match.
Why Natural Grass is a Game Changer for School Sports Facilities
For a truly sustainable, safe and high-performance surface, natural turf wins every time. It offers a cooler, softer and more environmentally-sound playing field that supports student well-being and enhances the school environment.
Natural grass provides a consistent playing surface that is more forgiving on joints and reduces the risk of skin abrasions. It actively cools the surrounding environment, cleans the air, captures carbon and improves local biodiversity. It performs well throughout different weather conditions, from extreme heat to pouring rain. For education facilities looking to make a genuinely “green” choice, natural turf is the undeniable champion.
What They Don’t Tell You About Artificial Grass
While artificial grass is often promoted for its hands-off appeal, there are several drawbacks, including hidden installation and maintenance costs hidden below the surface.
Extreme Heat Retention
Synthetic turf surfaces can become dangerously hot. On a typical Australian summer day, artificial grass surfaces can be up to 40°C hotter than natural grass, making them uncomfortable and potentially unsafe for children, especially when playing in the heat of the day.
Emerging Concerns Over Material Composition
Recent scientific reviews and health bodies have raised important questions about the materials used in artificial grass. The shock-absorbing infill, for instance, is often made from crumb rubber from recycled tyres. Both the plastic blades and this rubber infill can contain a complex mixture of chemicals, including PFAS (‘forever chemicals’), heavy metals and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Exposure to these has previously been linked to increased risk of numerous cancers, including leukaemia.
Because young kids play low to the ground, their potential for direct skin contact, inhalation of dust and off-gassing chemicals and accidental ingestion is higher. While research into long-term effects is ongoing, the presence of these substances in children’s play areas warrants careful consideration.
Physical Safety and Surface Hardness for Different Sports
The infill material in artificial turf can compact over time, creating a harder, less forgiving surface. Unlike natural grass, which provides consistent, natural cushioning, a hardened synthetic surface may increase the risk of impact injuries from falls. Skin abrasions or “plastic burns” from sliding on the plastic fibres are a common complaint.
Environmental Impact and Microplastics
Synthetic turf is a petroleum-based product. Its components, from the plastic blades to the recycled tyre infill, are not biodegradable and contribute to environmental load. A significant concern is the shedding of microplastics into the surrounding soil and waterways. When the turf reaches the end of its life, disposal presents a considerable environmental challenge, often ending up in a landfill.
High Upfront & Hidden Lifecycle Costs
The initial cost for professional-grade artificial turf and the required base preparation is significantly higher than for natural turf. Contrary to popular belief, it still requires ongoing maintenance, including specialised cleaning, sanitising and topping up infill to ensure safety. When considering the total lifecycle, including eventual removal and replacement, the overall cost-effectiveness can be much lower than anticipated.
See Our School Turf in Action
Want to see the difference a premium natural lawn can make? Check out how we transformed these school grounds into stunning, functional landscapes for students and staff.
Case Study: St Joseph's College, Echuca
Case Study: Toolern Vale Primary School
Our Top-Performing Turf for School Sports Fields
Known for its incredible durability and drought tolerance, TifTuf is the elite choice for high-traffic school sports fields. It provides a beautiful, fine-leaf consistent surface that stands up to constant play, from soccer and football to lunchtime rough and tumble.
Fast-growing and vibrant, Eureka Kikuyu is arguably the best value turf for large sports fields and football grounds. It establishes quickly, self-repairs aggressively from high wear and offers excellent cost-effectiveness for projects on a budget.
Nullarbor Couch
The smart, cost-effective choice for large, sun-loving school ovals, Nullarbor Couch thrives when mown low and often. These classic, fine-leaf turf lawns provide students with a clean and manicured playing surface ideal for a wide range of sports.
Key Advantages of a Natural Turf Playing Field
Choosing instant lawn from Coolabah provides tangible benefits for students, staff and the school’s budget.
- Superior Safety & Player Well-being: Natural grass is significantly cooler and provides a softer, more forgiving surface, reducing the risk of injuries from falls and heat-related stress.
- A High-Performance, Consistent Playing Surface: Our turf varieties are ideal for multi-sports applications. Whether it’s for tennis, athletics on a running track, or casual play, we provide a reliable surface that performs beautifully.
- Lower Lifetime Costs: While natural turf requires mowing and watering, its upfront installation cost is far lower than synthetic options. With proper care, a natural lawn is a sustainable asset that improves over time, avoiding the huge replacement cost of artificial surfaces.
- Positive Environmental Impact: A natural lawn actively benefits the environment. It filters water, produces oxygen and supports a healthy soil ecosystem.
Partner with a Team That Understands Education Facilities
At Coolabah Turf, we make the entire process smooth and efficient. Our team provides expert advice on product selection, proper installation guidelines and creating a minimal maintenance plan to keep your turf in top shape. Every order is delivered fresh from our farm and backed by a 10-year guarantee.
We are here to help you create a lasting, valuable asset for your school. To discuss your turfing requirements and get expert advice on everything from lawn type selection to maintenance, talk to one of our friendly team today.
School Sport Turf FAQs
Our Instant turf commercial projects have helped provide a instant, green playing field surfaces for school kids around Victoria. While establishment times vary by season, students can often begin light use in just a few weeks. The oval becomes fully robust and ready for sports once the root system is deeply established, typically within 2-3 months. We provide expert advice to ensure the quickest result.
Hydroseeding is a method of spraying a slurry of seed, mulch, and fertiliser onto bare soil. Like traditional seeding, it’s often considered for large areas like ovals due to its perceived lower initial cost, but it carries significant risks and drawbacks for a school project. It takes much longer to establish, often requiring months before the surface is dense and strong enough for play, which means extended downtime for students.
During this long establishment period, it requires more watering to be successful and is vulnerable to weeds, which can result in a patchy, inconsistent finish. Instant turf, on the other hand, is the preferred solution because it provides a mature, dense and weed-free surface from day one. It dramatically reduces the risks and resources associated with establishment time and weed control, making it the most reliable and efficient choice for any school needing a functional playing field, fast.
